Divorce Papers
by Quiet Intensity
Summary: Kaname Kuran is happily married to his wife, Yuuki Kuran. Or so he thinks. OOC. Human.
1. Paper Trails

**Divorce Papers  
**by Quiet-Intensity

_A/N: Inspiration strikes when it is least unlikely to strike – namely in the middle of the night, when I have a big test the next day and need sleep! I've had this plot stuck in my head for a while, so I finally wrote it down, despite working on IWBH. So this is my little Christmas/happy new years gift for you, my dear readers. It's sort of a thank you for reading my other stories and reviewing, and also a please-bear-with-me-I-know-I'm-slow bribe. I hope you enjoy our favourite OTP going through marital problems. Muahahah._

_Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!_

* * *

Chapter 1: Paper Trails

Kaname Kuran walked up the last steps to their floor. Over there was their door, number 32. With a heavy weight in his chest he forced himself to walk the short remaining distance.

He'd never been so uneasy about the prospect of opening a door before.

The sound of his heartbeat was loud in his ears; nervousness and a sense of foreboding clouded his mind. His hand clenched into a fist besides him as he steeled himself.

What lay behind this door was the end of his marriage.

The end of all things he knew; the life he'd come to live by her side these past days.

It was an end he did not want to meet. Too soon - he loved her too much.

Bracing himself, he grabbed the handle and twisted it, pushing the door open…

* * *

_A few days earlier…_

A pen.

A simple, goddamn pen was all he'd been looking for when he roamed her desk that Tuesday evening.

Never in his wildest imaginations had he ever expected to find divorce papers.

There, written on crisp, white paper were the words "Petition for Divorce" written in big letters, followed by formal language. What caught his eyes and held them there however, was the signature part.

The letter "Y" was scrawled on the field in which the name of the petitioner was supposed to be written.

_Y for Yuuki._

His wife. The woman he'd married only three years ago, whom he'd swore he would spend the rest of his life with, through sickness and health, the good and the bad, his lover and most importantly, the one person he couldn't live without.

His grip on the paper tightened, betrayal and hurt stung deeply within him. She was divorcing him? Why? Weren't they happy together?

Wasn't he good enough?

The slam of the their door interrupted his grave thoughts.

"Kaname! I'm hoooome," she sang happily.

He quickly shuffled the papers on her desk, and shoved the divorce papers into the drawer.

Her smiling face greeted him as he rose from the chair. As she came towards him, he was hit with a ton of emotions. She was so beautiful; her long chestnut hair framed her heart-shaped face, accentuating the cinnamon in her wide, doe-like eyes. But she was not only beautiful on the outside, it was her heart that attracted him the most, the way she so beautifully viewed the world, showed her kindness and appreciation towards everyone... Her smile could outshine a thousand suns.

It was his favourite smile.

And soon… he would lose all this.

The thought crushed him.

"Home so early? What a surprise!" She smiled, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss him, catching him off guard.

His eyes widened, and his hands fumbled while trying to figure out what to do. He'd just found out that she was divorcing him, and now she was kissing him like everything was fine?

She broke the kiss before he managed to gather himself, and walked over to the desk, unaware of his inner turmoil.

"Were you looking for something?" She inquired when she noticed the mess on her desk.

He didn't respond immediately, still in a daze. "Uh… yes, ah… a pen." He mumbled.

What a strange situation.

"Oh…" she trailed off, grabbing a pink pen from her desk. "You sure made a lot of mess for a simple pen," she said, handing him the pen. He awkwardly reached for the pen, grabbing her wrist in stead and stumbling slightly towards her.

Realizing what he'd done, he jerked his hand back as if he'd burned himself.

Yuuki narrowed her eyes at him. "You okay, Kaname? You seem a little off…"

Shit. Did she know? Either way, he couldn't bring himself to even think about the prospect of her divorcing him, much less discuss it with her.

So he opted for an escape.

"Fine, fine! Uh, I'll make dinner? What do you want? I can make us some wok or something, so you don't have to worry about food!" His words came out in a rush as he turned away from her and fled the room.

Outside the door he stopped, trying to calm his breathing.

_I need to save this marriage! _He thought desperately, marching off to the kitchen, determined to make the best chicken wok in the world, a wok so good she would never dare divorce him.

* * *

His foolproof anti-divorce chicken wok was not as successful as he'd hoped.

It was a little burnt, actually.

Yuuki's face scrunched adorably together as her taste buds registered the burnt chicken.

They'd been silent over dinner, her busy with eating and him…. Busy with staring at her and mentally begging her to stay.

She looked up, meeting his stare. Caught off-guard he looked down at the food, bringing a fork with food to his mouth.

_Don't meet her eyes… Don't meet her eyes…_

In his desperation to not meet her eyes, thus risking the chance of discussing the possible divorce, he forgot how to chew properly, and swallowed too much food for his esophagus to handle.

"Kaname?" Yuuki called his name worriedly when he began coughing roughly, his shoulders shaking.

She rushed over to him, putting a reassuring hand on his back and bringing a glass of water to him.

He finally managed to swallow, and he grabbed the water from her, downing it in one sip.

She patted his back lightly, looking at him worriedly. Her hand found his forehead, searching for a fever.

"Are you all right, Kaname?" She asked. "You don't have a fever…" she trailed off, feeling his forehead beneath his bangs.

He glanced over at her, meeting her worried eyes. Her hands on him didn't make the situation any easier for him.

This loving, caring woman – his wife, his most beloved person – was divorcing him?

He shuttered beneath her hand. At her touch he realized that it had been a very long time since they'd had any form of intimacy together, because of his crazy shifts and her work with the shop. Was this the reason she couldn't be with him anymore?

His anxiety grew the more he thought about it, and he did something rash in response. His hands wound themselves around her neck, and he pressed her towards him, his lips colliding with hers, trying to ignite something - _anything_ at this point - between them.

After struggling in his tight grip, she broke free. "What was that for?" She panted, her eyes scanning him. Shit. Now he'd messed up even more. How was he going to explain it?

_"Hey, I found your divorce papers and I can't bear the thought of losing you, because I love you too much to let you go. Wanna make love?"_

Really, people always commented on his wit and intelligence due to his position as a doctor, but right now he felt like the biggest idiot on earth.

He swallowed nervously. An excuse, he needed to find an excuse…

"Uhh… Your necklace is very pretty," he commented, trying to distract her.

What the hell kind of distraction was that!? He felt like slapping himself.

Her eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "You wanted to kiss me because of my necklace?" She asked, sounding as confused as he felt at the moment.

Sweat gathered at his temples. He was making such a fool out of himself, but he didn't know how to act. The last thing he wanted to do was to confront her, because he wasn't sure if the truth was something he was ready to hear.

Bracing himself, he straightened his back, pinning her down with a hard stare. Time to be assertive!

"Can't a man kiss his wife if he wants, regardless of necklace or not?" He asked, gathering his plate and utensils, pushing off the chair and heading towards the kitchen.

In his stead he left a confused Yuuki, too stunned to speak by her husband's unusually erratic behavior. She walked over to the kitchen, her hips resting against the counters as he washed his plate.

She crossed her arms. "Are you sure you're not ill, Kaname? You're acting very unusual. You should take a rest or something, okay? I think you need it," she said gently.

_So while I rest in our bed, you can finish signing the divorce papers!? _

He cleared his throat. "Yes… That's a good idea. I'll take a nap or something."

She nodded, walking over to the table to finish her food.

He shook his head. As if he could sleep now!

* * *

At night he lay awake, with her beside him, the few inches between them feeling like the greatest distance. His thoughts were scattered, and as he listened to her calm breathing he felt even more panic well inside him. She slept with her back to him, and the temptation to snuggle closer and slip an arm around her waist taunted him. No matter how much his fingers itched to feel his wife's supple skin, he couldn't do it - he didn't dare touch her in case he'd make matters worse.

Was she tired of him, was that it? He did indeed have a very busy schedule, switching between night shifts and daytime overworking. There wasn't much time left for them together, especially with her managing her shop along with Yori. The last time they'd been together sexually was…

Oh, now he remembered. A few weeks ago, when they came home from Takuma's birthday party, both a little drunk and needy. And then the morning after… and at least a few more times that weekend, and that was the last he could remember.

Her pursed his lips, studying his wife's petite form, the way her curves dipped over her body, in that perfect womanly shape. Her round hips, small waist, perfectly sized breasts for him to hold…

Instinctively he shifted, as his thoughts began stirring his inner desires. Now was not the time.

It was at that moment that Yuuki chose to turn, her angelic face coming into view. His eyes softened, admiring her visage.

His wife had a very simple beauty, nothing utterly exotic, but something that shone from beneath her features, though they were beautiful as well. Her face was heart-shaped, her lips pink and soft, though he preferred them when they were bruised with his kisses. But his favorite part was her eyes; it wasn't just their vibrant hue of cinnamon-brown, it was also how she saw the world with them. She was a gentle creature, his wife, and she was kind towards everyone, and she took care of those she could. He remembered that time he caught that awful flu and was out of it for days. Her soothing whispers and care for him had gotten him through it. He'd been so reliant of her, and she'd done everything in her power for him to feel better.

She'd be a good mother one day, this much he knew.

The thought of her pregnant, carrying his child, the two of them moving into a bigger house, seeing their children growing up day by day, one boy and one girl, had always been a welcome thought to him, something he'd looked forward to.

But now, in light of the recent events, he suddenly wasn't so sure if that were his future anymore… if she divorced him, then… none of that would ever be reality.

He felt heavy all of a sudden. The last thing he wanted was to loose her.

Careless of the consequences, he moved closer, moving his arms around her, and kissing the top of her head when she snuggled into him.

If this were the last time he'd hold her, then he'd hold her for as long as he could.


	2. Try and Fail

**Divorce Papers**

A/N: _Apo__logies for the delay, I've been on a holiday the past week and needless to say the net was not on my side. Anyways, this is more of a filler chapter really. I've had the main story written for a while, but I wanted to add another chapter because…. Let's face it, insecure and terrified-of-divorce-husband-Kaname is cute. And fun to write!_

_Fun fact: parts of the text were written on an airplane. _

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Try and fail

The next days went by in the same manner. Perhaps it was his imagination playing tricks on him, but the more he studied her, the more distant she seemed.

In response to her sudden disinterest in him, he'd initiated a plan to save the marriage. In between breaks at work, he'd written down a few points:

_1. Pay more attention to her_

_2. Compliment her_

_3. Make a romantic dinner, followed by… a massage, which hopefully leads into something else (?)_

_4. Clean the house for her_

_5. Call and text her more frequently_

_6. Buy her flowers_

Many of the points he'd written intersected, which meant he could try them out at the same time. But the main purpose was the same; remind her of why they were good together, and sway her from her decision to divorce him. He figured that 1 and 5 went together hand in hand, so he went ahead and called her.

She didn't pick up, and after a few attempts of calling her, he decided to text her instead.

_- Hey, how is work?_

After a few minutes, she responded.

_- Oh, fine! This is new though, you texting me work? And I thought hospitals were always busy.._

Yes! At least she was responding!

_- It's always busy here, but I figured that texting my beautiful wife wouldn't hurt. I miss you. Are you well?_

Her response came immediately, and he grinned to himself.

_- Beautiful wife? Uhuhuhu, did you forget to do the dishes or something?_

His grin faltered dramatically. Dishes? DISHES? Immediately he began speculating whether his lack of efficiency in the kitchen was the reason she was divorcing him…. When he felt like hitting himself in the head for acting like such a paranoid freak. Of course she wouldn't divorce him over that….right? Right?

A vision of Yuuki standing with a grim expression in the middle of the kitchen entered his head. He imagined her surrounded by kitchen appliances and used plates, cursing his name and growling, her hands settled as her sides, elbows jutting into the air. Then, she would storm off into her office, take out the divorce papers and sign them with such rabidness that the papers would catch fire from her anger-filled excitement.

A shudder went through him from the image, and he shook his head to clear it. Another thought hit him then, and his brows furrowed. Couldn't he call her beautiful without her getting suspicious? Was he really that inattentive with her?

_- Why yes, you are beautiful. Very much so. And… what dishes?_

He hit 'send' and waited nervously until she responded a few minutes later:

_- Haha, flattery won't work with me. Just do the dishes when you get home. I gotta go now, busy bee at work and all, bye x_

He sighed.

Attempt number one: Fail.

* * *

Well, the romantic dinner hadn't gone as he planned either. He got held up at work, and didn't arrive home until an hour after her. The smell of spices and other aromas had assaulted his nose when he'd entered their apartment, and he knew at once that his surprise-dinner wasn't happening. Instead, he opted to help her.

They worked quietly beside each other. Only, his eyes kept glancing over at her; he was simply unable to look away. His eyes were more vigilant of her than they usually were, probably because of the impending doom of divorce looming over him. He wanted to soak up every detail; the way her brows furrowed when she was thinking deeply about something, how swiftly her dainty hands worked the kitchen; the way her light blue sweater complimented her cream complexion, and the way her long, silky hair fell over her shoulder as she bent to retrieve something – all these small details mattered more to him now than before.

She caught his staring eyes a few times, and she barked out a few orders; do this, do that, put that one in the oven, chop those carrots up, etcetera… there wasn't anything remotely romantic about their cooking. In fact, they barely even spoke; Yuuki it seemed, was lost in her own thoughts most of the time, and didn't answer him until he repeated her name a few times when he tried to converse with her.

After washing the bowl, he turned and stopped when suddenly he got an idea. Instead of returning to his original workspace where he prepared carrots, he changed direction and walked directly towards her.

His feet stopped a few inches from her. Lingering behind her like a shadow, he contemplated his next move. She was far too wrapped up in chopping onions to notice him.

_Now_, a voice said in his head.

He pushed her hair to the side, and placed his lips upon the side of her neck. His hands settled at her sides against the counter.

She stilled.

Oh no… he kept kissing and sucking the area between her collarbone and neck, trying his best to gauge a favorable reaction from her.

The smell of burning meat was lost on him in his quest to seduce his wife.

"Kaname! The beef!" She shrieked, breaking free from him.

"Damnit," he hissed, rushing over to the stove and pushing the burnt meat aside.

Attempt number two: Failed.

* * *

She was in her home office, busily tapping away at her computer, wrapped up in work and other projects she worked on.

He didn't dare interrupt her, in case he'd screw up even more, so he decided to review his list.

_1. Pay more attention to her_

_2. __Compliment her_

_3. __Make a romantic dinner, followed by… a massage, which hopefully leads into something else (?)_

_4. Clean the house for her_

_5. __Call and text her more frequently_

_6. Buy her flowers_

Well... None of his attempts this far had worked. When he attempted calling and texting her, she was too busy to talk with him, and when he tried complimenting her by calling her beautiful, she grew suspicious. And the attention thing didn't work either; he'd tried to comment on her hair and ask if she'd done something to it, to which he'd gotten a roll of the eyes and a "yeah, right" in response. Nevertheless, he began asking her about work and her projects, but she grew quiet and distant the more he spoke to her. Lately she'd been lost in her thoughts and more quiet than usual. Which did indeed unsettle him, because his wife was one of the happiest and most talkative people he knew of; it was what he loved about her, her openness. The matter of work was also disconcerting, his wife usually had a tendency to talk his ears off when she was passionate about something, and one of her passions was her job.

He sighed audibly. And the dinner did_ not_ end up being a romantic one; due to his attempt at seducing her, the food had gotten too burnt to eat, so they ended up ordering greasy take-out.

And it certainly didn't turn into "something else" like he'd hoped for.

So now there were two points of his plan left:

_4. Clean the house for her _

_6. Buy her flowers_

She would be busy for at least a few hours, so he decided he would go out and buy flowers first, and then come back and do the cleaning. Grabbing his coat, he searched his pockets for the car keys and found none. Roaming the apartment, he searched every surface, lifting various items throughout his search. Finally he found them, hidden beneath newspapers and Yuuki's fashion magazines. Happily clutching his hand, he turned and was about to exit the apartment when he saw the mess he'd created while searching for his keys.

His 50th sigh that day escaped him. Now there would be even more to clean. Great.

* * *

There weren't many types of flowers available this late at day, so he went for red roses, which he was sure she would love. The crimson red petals reminded him of one of their first dates; he had taken her to a park and together they walked through a beautiful rose garden. She had loved it, and the joy in her eyes was enough to make him happy. It was also the same place he decided to propose to her, and she had broken down in tears and said 'yes'. He smiled at the memory, it had been the happiest day in his life, except for the day he married her of course. While they were there he'd promised to give her a rose encased in resin, but he never got the chance to fulfill that promise.

Maybe this time...

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

He glanced at the caller ID and when he noticed who it was, he grew wary.

"Hello?"

A frantic nurse answered him. "Dr. Kuran? It's Mr. Matsumoto, his daughter just called. He's fallen very ill and you must check up on him. He won't see anyone else."

"I'm on my way."

Yuuki and flowers would have to wait. He could only hope that it was nothing serious and that it wouldn't take too long. Mr. Matsumoto was one of his oldest patients, and he had treated him the past two years. He was like family to him.

* * *

Fortunately, Mr. Matsumoto would survive. He had just had a minor seizure, and as soon as Kaname gave him the right amount of medicine, he brightened and felt better. He thanked Kaname profusely, and asked that he please say hi to his lovely wife.

Wife.

Yuuki. Flowers.

Cleaning!

It had been three hours since he went out when he arrived back home, holding a bouquet of sunken roses. Mentally he cursed the street seller for giving him such lousy flowers. On top of it all it had rained, and he was soaked. Wisps of dark hair clung to his forehead as he took off his wet coat.

"Where were you?" At the sound of her voice, he immediately froze. He turned slowly, meeting her eyes.

"I was out buying flowers for you..." Hesitantly, he brought forward the bouquet from behind his back. The roses had withered slightly, their heads were sunken and their color had faded. They looked as tired and worn out as he felt.

Her left eyebrow lifted in suspicion. She pushed off the wall, which she'd been leaning against.

She walked over to him, her eyes studying the dead flowers. "For three hours?"

He swallowed. "Well actually I was going to come back earlier and clean up the mess I made, but then a nurse called and informed me that Mr. Matsumoto had fallen ill, so I had to go check up on him."

She was used to him going on house calls, but it still unnerved her that he had just went without telling her, like he usually did so she wouldn't worry.

But her concern got the best of her. "Is he alright?" She asked worriedly, taking the flowers from him.

"Yes... He's fine, I changed his meds." He said. With that she turned and began walking away from him.

"Oh, I'm so relieved to hear that. I'll see what I can do with the flowers, you just go ahead and clean-"

Before she could get any further away from him, his arms reached forward and enveloped her from behind, clutching her tightly into his chest. Inhaling her soothing scent, he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Kaname...?"

Hopelessness washed over him like a heavy weight, draining his energy. All he'd wanted to do was save the marriage. He'd tried his very best, but he kept failing at every attempt.

No words came out of his mouth for a while, and she held still while he held her.

Finally, he whispered: "I'm sorry, Yuuki..."

His words were muffled due to his proximity to her neck, but she heard him well enough.

"For what?" She asked gently, her back still pressed into his chest.

_For not being good enough..._

He cleared his throat. "For the flowers." Gently he let her go, taking a few steps back while she turned.

She turned and regarded him, studying his hunched shoulders and sullen expression. "The flowers are fine, Kaname. Slightly dead,'" she remarked, eyeing the flowers, "but it's the thought that counts. So thank you." She took a few steps forward, and reaching up on her tiptoes she kissed his cheek.

Her hand held the side of his face while she stared directly in his eyes. "I don't know what's going on with you these days, but... You can talk to me. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

_You lie. You're leaving me for good and there's nothing I can do to stop you._

He nodded quietly, too fatigued to say anything in return. After gazing upon him for a while, hoping he'd open up about what was going on, she turned and walked away, flowers in hand.

He remained rooted in that spot for a while, his heart heavy and his head aching with hopeless thoughts.

His hand traveled into his pocket, retrieving crumbled paper, which has been ruined by the rain. The list. His eyes scanned over the smeared writing, coming to the conclusion that all his attempts had been futile.

Attempt number three: like everything else - failed.

She was leaving him, walking away into the sunset while he... he...

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The hopelessness, which had eating away at him ever since he found out, worsened until all he could feel was utter despair.


	3. Make a Wish

**Divorce Papers**

_Aww, poor bb Kaname. How will this end!?_

_This is the last chapter, and I'd like to thank those of you who reviewed, followed and added the story to your favorites. This is different from what I usually write, and I've tried to keep the style of it "lighter" than what my usual texts are. I tried being funny too, but I think I failed..?_

_Anyways, enjoy the last chapter of Divorce Papers! (Remember, reviews are always welcome, even if the story is over..)_

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Make a wish

Today was his birthday. Usually, Yuuki would wake him up in the morning with cake and candles and sing for him, even if it was five in the morning. He'd always be tired and longing for sleep, but her cute smile and enthusiasm was hard to resist, and so he grew to enjoy spending his birthday with her through the years. However, this year was different. When they woke up she didn't even mention his birthday, and they barely exchanged a few words over breakfast - which she spent tapping busily at her phone.

_Texting with a lover?_ His insecurities had grown the past days, taunting him whenever she was near.

They said their goodbyes, he got a brief kiss on his cheek and that was all. No cake. No candles. No smiling Yuuki ambushing him in bed and showering his face with kisses, while singing loudly and laughing at him. Like a ton of bricks, the reality of the situation hit him - Yuuki was divorcing him. He wasn't good enough for her.

The rest of the day was spent in gloom. Nurses and other co-workers congratulated him on his birthday, but it didn't bring him any joy, it just made the fact that Yuuki was divorcing him even bitterer. People he didn't even know congratulated him, but did his wife? No. Again he felt the talons of despair claw at his heart. He didn't want to lose her. Not now, not ever.

Takuma noticed his brooding. "What´s wrong Kaname? You should cheer up, it's your birthday!" He grinned, elbowing him slightly.

Kaname sighed in response.

"Didn't Yuuki greet you this morning? Or… Hmm, maybe her birthday gift drained all your energy, maybe that's why you're so cranky, eh?"

Oh, had it only been like that. Usually after the cake and the loud singing, she would kiss him deeply, and the morning would continue in bed, just the two of them, their bodies joining and…

Kaname let out a deep breath. "No, she didn't. She didn't even mention it. These past days she's been so distant, and... I found divorce papers at her desk."

There. Now that he'd said it out loud, it felt even worse. She was leaving him. A vision of her holding hands with another man, smiling and kissing him suddenly entered his mind. A growl escaped his mouth, his jealousy taking control.

Takuma stiffened. "Eh? Divorce? You? Yuuki? That's... Noo, that's impossible. You're probably mistaken, I mean–"

"I found them, Takuma. Signed and everything. Hidden beneath papers on her desk." Kaname cut in, his voice cold and eerily calm, despite his boiling anger on the inside.

"That's uh… Well, I… Uh, I don't know what to say to that. You need to talk to Yuuki, Kaname. You can't keep holding this inside or you'll explode. I can already see how much it's taken a toll on you these past days, " Takuma said, referring to the dark circles beneath Kaname's eyes. Yuuki and Kaname were the happiest couple he knew, and somewhere deep inside his heart he believed they were simply meant to be. It was obvious just by looking at the two of them; how their eyes never strayed too far from each other, and when they were in the same room they were always near each other in some way, be it a simple touch or nestled together at a couch; they seemed to be inexplicably intertwined at all times. They completed each other, simple as that.

It was then that Kaname's resolve was made. Tonight, he would talk to his wife; he would confront her and demand the truth. And when she told him that she didn't love him, that she'd found another man, or that he wasn't good enough for her or whatever the hell her reasons were, he would fall on his knees and beg her, no – _plead_ for her to stay with him.

Screw pride, he was hopeless without his wife.

* * *

This was it.

Withdrawing his key from the keyhole, his hand grabbed the handle of their door, twisting it slightly.

Slowly he pushed the door open, and found nothing but darkness beyond it.

She wasn't home yet, he deduced. Some part of him was relieved, because that meant he'd get more time to prepare himself. Fleetingly he thought about pouring himself a glass of whiskey to soothe his nerves.

He turned and shut the door, flipping the light switch next to him as he did so.

"SUPRIIIIISEEEEEEE!"

His mouth hung agape as he stared with wide eyes at the group of people in front of him. Takuma, Ruka, Shiki, Rima, Kain, Aidou, Ichiru, Zero, a few other acquaintances, and Yuuki, standing in the middle of them, grinning madly at him in her party dress.

"Happy birthday, Kaname!" She said, holding up a cake with twenty-nine candles on it.

He was still in shock when she came towards him, holding the cake up intending to let him blow out the candles.

She stopped in front of him, studying his stricken face. "Oh my… I think we made him speechless, you guys!"

The little group of people laughed amongst themselves, and it was enough to pull him out of his stupor. He shook his head to clear it.

"Yuuki… how did you? When…? I thought you forgot…" He mumbled, eyes searching the cake.

She smiled warmly, and his heart melted at the sight. The candles between them gave her a golden glow; her skin seemed almost luminescent, and the brown of her eyes intensified from the flickering lights. A lump formed in his throat; her gaze was so soft and filled with love, it was nearly overwhelming.

"Me? Forgetting about your birthday? Impossible! I just wanted to surprise you this year, instead of doing the usual thing. That's why I've been so… aloof these past days, because I was planning behind your back and conspiring with Takuma!"

Aha. It made sense now. The texting, her evasiveness, and her indifference to his birthday…

But it didn't explain the divorce papers.

"Well, I can't hold this cake forever. Blow out these candles and make a wish!"

Dazedly he began blowing out the candles, before he paused.

_Make a wish…_

His brows furrowed as he thought about his wish, and when he finally knew what he wanted to wish for, he blew out the candles.

The people in the room cheered and clapped for him, and he smiled, feeling genuinely happy to see them, and all the effort his wife had put into the party.

She leaned up and kissed him after she'd managed to put the cake away, and helped him out of his coat.

And for a second there, he felt no worries, no hopelessness or sadness at all.

… Until he remembered the papers.

* * *

The party had been a success. Takuma had gotten a little too drunk as usually, and it had taken Shiki and Zero to get him out of the apartment at the end of the night. All night they'd had fun, eating food and cake, playing silly games and dancing.

Takuma struggled over to him. "Buddyy! I bet you didn't see this coming, huh?" He slurred.

Kaname smiled amusedly, sipping lightly on his wine. "No, I didn't."

"And I helped! Hah! That wife of yours sure is supercool and totally working undercover. Like – like a spy! And you thought she was di- divorshing you," Takuma's green eyes glittered with mirth when he spoke.

Kaname guardedly looked around for his wife, in the hopes that she didn't hear Takuma's accusation. When he saw that she was far away, talking to Yori, he turned to Takuma. "Okay, Takuma, enough drinks for you. I'm cutting you off. Don't mention the d-word again, okay?" He lightly patted his back as Takuma went to sit down.

"The D-word! Hah!" Takuma snorted loudly.

Kaname rolled his eyes, smiling lightly. Looking around him at the people and the lit candles, he realized that this was a night he would remember for a long time. He'd never had a birthday quite like this.

The night had been spent busy talking to his friends and colleagues, and it had been the same with Yuuki, as she played the perfect hostess. Regardless of his manners, he'd watched Yuuki like a hawk, studying her mood and behavior. She was smiling, which in turn made him happy, and when she spoke excitedly about something to Ruka her eyes had twinkled spectacularly. She wore a black, tight party dress that clung to her curves and revealed slight cleavage, and it had truly driven him mad with desire when he thought about how she'd dressed up for him on his previous birthdays, and… "gifted" him. Her eyes met his a few times when he watched her. She'd either smiled warmly or grinned at him, depending on the level of alcohol in her system. Either way, she hadn't acted like a wife who wanted to divorce her husband. But then he wondered, was this her final act - a last goodbye?

It was well past two a.m. when they finished cleaning the place. Timidly he sat down in their couch, waiting for her to join him.

She came over and settled next to him while she leaned slightly on him. Turning, her eyes searched his while she set a hand over his chest.

"So, did you like the surprise?"

He swallowed. "Yes, very much. I'm not usually fond of surprises you know, but this was a good one. I certainly didn't expect it. Thank you, Yuuki."

She smiled. "You're very welcome. It was fun actually, sneaking behind your back and planning it. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out actually, God knows I can't get anything past you usually."

He pursed his lips, unsure of whether he wanted to bring up the subject or not. He was happy now; she was by his side and she was smiling at him, what more could he ask for? But the more he pondered over it, the clearer his resolution became.

It had been eating away at him for days. It was time to confront her.

"Yes, about that… Yuuki, there's something I need to talk to you about."

His hand found the papers on the little table next to their couch, and he grabbed them, slowly bringing them into view.

Her reaction stunned him.

"Oh! There they are! Where did you find them? Gosh, I've been looking for these for ages," she gushed, snatching the papers from his grip.

His brows scrunched together in confusion. Wait, what? How could she be so trivial over something like this? This was life or death for him!

Yuuki noticed his silence. "Eh? What's wrong Kaname?" she asked, tilting his face up.

"I thought..." his throat was dry. "Uhm, I thought you were…" Why couldn't he say the words? Oh. He knew why. He didn't want to hear her confirm it.

"You thought what...?" She asked, before something clicked in her mind. "Oh! _OH!_ You thought I was divorcing you?" Her incredulous eyes found his. "No way! I mean... no! Jeez, why would you think that Kaname? I love you, stupid!"

He could only stare at her, too stunned to speak. "But they were signed..." He trailed off, feeling confused and stupid at the same time. She wasn't divorcing him?

Yuuki's brows scrunched together in confusion. She shuffled the papers, looking for the signature, narrowed eyes scanning the pages furiously. "Aha!" She exclaimed when she found it. Her eyes snapped back to his, a strange look on her face.

"There's only one letter, Kaname." She deadpanned, staring at him flatly.

"Yes," he said, pointing at the lone letter. "Y for Yuuki! I figured you didn't manage to finish them before I got home or something, so you hid them away!" He accused.

A very unladylike snort escaped her. "That's not even my handwriting, these are not even my divorce papers!"

He stilled, registering the meaning of her words. "They're not yours? Then whose?"

A somber look crossed her face, her eyes focusing on the papers in front of her.

"They're Yori's..." She whispered. "It isn't working out between her and Kaito, so she's considering a divorce. I kept them for her, because she was afraid Kaito'd find them..."

Never in his life had he felt so stupid. Mortification at his own idiocy spread over him. But her saddened voice brought him back to reality.

"Oh, Yuuki... I'm really sorry. About Yori and Kaito, and... that I doubted you like that. I don't know how I could come to that conclusion, all I know is that when I saw the papers I panicked." He said, bringing her face up.

Her cinnamon eyes trailed over his face, taking in every detail. "So that's why you've been acting so odd these past days... You really thought I was divorcing you?" Her hand stroked his chin lovingly. "Well I guess I can't blame you, I _did_ have to act very secretive in order to not spoil the surprise for you... Oh no, earlier this morning, you didn't feel sad that I didn't congratulate you the usual way, did you?" Her eyes widened.

He chuckled, stroking her cheek. "I'll admit that I was. I don't think I was very… amiable at work today, to put it that way. But now that I know you're not divorcing me, I'm relieved. I loved the surprise, it was very thoughtful of you."

She leaned up and kissed him in response, and he relaxed into the kiss, letting all his stress and worries these past days melt away.

"I'm glad you liked the surprise." Her lips curled into a small smile. A lone finger trailed down his chest, barely touching the buttons of his shirt. "Though I do think I should make up for the fact that I didn't congratulate you the _usual _way," she said huskily as she lifted her leg and straddled his lap.

"Mmh, yes I think so too." His hand slid along her thigh and hip, settling on her waist. "What did you have in mind?" He asked hoarsely.

"I can think of a few things," She teased.

Oh, how he wanted her. It had been so long, it was cruel to go this long without… his lips dove straight towards hers, and she received them with the same urgency. Their hands were everywhere, roaming spaces of skin and ripping clothes apart.

"Mmh.. Mmh, Kaname…" she mumbled, breaking off their heated kisses. His lips went automatically to her neck, soft like a butterfly. "What did you wish for? Earlier, when you blew out the candles on your cake?" She asked curiously, forcing him to shift his attention from her neck to her face.

His eyebrows scrunched together. Hmm… Oh, right.

"I wished that you wouldn't divorce me," he chuckled, his maroon eyes diverting as he thought of how ridiculously paranoid he'd been.

"Never!" She laughed, before swooping down and kissing him.

He smiled into the kiss, grabbing a hold of her thighs and standing up, carrying her with him to the bedroom.

A few months later Yuuki told him with shining eyes that she was pregnant, and soon they became parents to their first child – a daughter with Kaname's eyes and Yuuki's exuberant smile.

True to their vows, they stayed together through sickness and health for the rest of their lives, welcoming their son when their daughter turned four.

And the divorce papers? They were shred.

_FIN._


End file.
